Chrysler Corporation

Atoma International Corporation

Charles E Harland

Bruce P Mattarella

Matthew E Dukatz

Fred C Kresky

Steven M Jakubiec

Jay P McCarthy

Stephen A Sharples

Dianna L Sabo

Steven R Swailes

Ronald A Cripe

A passenger vehicle seat arrangement is provided for a vehicle having a body including a pair of front side doors and a pair of rear side doors, on opposite sides of a passenger compartment. A front seat assembly is disposed in a front portion of the passenger compartment generally between the pair of front side doors. A middle seat assembly is disposed in a middle portion of the passenger compartment generally between the pair of rear side doors. A rear seat assembly is disposed in a rear portion of the passenger compartment behind the middle seat assembly. The middle seat assembly includes two outer seat sections and a center seat section disposed between the two outer seat sections. The two outer seat sections are capable of moving independently of the center seat section from a first position for receiving passengers in a seated position to a second position forward of the first position to allow access to the rear seat assembly through each of the pair of rear side doors. The rear seat is disposed at a higher level than the middle seat when in its normal seating position. The respective pivotal axes of the seat backs of the middle and rear seat assemblies are generally disposed in a common substantially horizontal plane. When the seat back of the middle seat assembly and the seat back of the rear seat assembly are each in their second generally horizontal position, the seat backs combine to form a substantially horizontal cargo storage surface.

Seat arrangement for a vehicle

A passenger vehicle is provided with a tiered seating arrangement having first, second, and third seat assemblies. The second and third assemblies fold down to form a cargo carrying platform. The vehicle roof is raised above the second and third seat assemblies to provide appropriate headroom for the passengers.

Passenger vehicle floor and seat arrangement

A passenger land vehicle is provided in which a row of seats is located generally between a pair of doors. A rear seat is positioned behind the front seat and access to the rear seat is gained primarily through the doors. A first hand grip is formed in the front seat and a second hand grip is formed in an interior body panel disposed on an outer wall of the passenger compartment of the vehicle rearward of the door in order to facilitate ingress and egress to and from the vehicle. The hand grips provide a convenient support for each of the passenger's hands while the passenger is entering and exiting the vehicle.

Access handgrips for use during ingress and egress from a vehicle

A vehicle seat has a coupler for connecting the seat to the floor of a vehicle, and a first seat section. The first seat section is connected to the coupler, and includes a femur portion and a back portion. A second seat section is also connected to the coupler, and includes a femur portion and a back portion. A third seat section is additionally connected to the coupler and includes a femur portion and a back portion. The first and second seat sections are movable between: (1) a first position wherein the femur portion is generally parallel to the vehicle floor and the back portion is generally perpendicular to the vehicle floor; (2) a second position wherein the femur portion and the back portion are both generally parallel to the vehicle floor; and (3) a third position wherein the femur portion and back portion are both disposed generally perpendicular to the vehicle floor. The third seat section is movable between: (1) a first position wherein the femur portion is generally parallel to the vehicle floor and the back portion is generally perpendicular to the vehicle floor; and (2) a second position wherein the femur portion and back portion are both disposed generally parallel to the vehicle floor.

Vehicle seat

Actuating structure is provided for manually moving hook members mounted on a rigid support structure. The rigid support structure supports a portion of a cushioned seat structure of a vehicle seat for use in a vehicle having a floor surface. The hook members are mounted on the rigid support structure for movement between (1) an operative position engaged in hooked relationship with anchor members of the floor surface so as to detachably fixedly retain the rigid support structure and the portion of the seat structure when mounted thereon in a fixed operative position on the floor surface and (2) an inoperative position disposed above the operative position thereof so as to enable the rigid support structure and the portion of the seat structure when mounted thereon to be moved relatively over the floor surface. The actuating structure is constructed and arranged to move the hook members between the operative and inoperative positions thereof. The actuating structure includes a manually releasable locking mechanism constructed and arranged to selectively lock the hook members in one of the operative and inoperative positions thereof, and indicating structure operatively associated with the locking mechanism and movable between a first position providing visual indication that the locking mechanism and the hook members are disposed in a fully locked position and a second position providing visual indication that the locking mechanism and the hook members are in a position other than a fully locked position.

Growing community of inventors

Livonia, MI, United States of America

Charles E Harland